1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to the field of computer architecture and, more specifically, to methods and systems for allowing multiple operating system images within a logically partitioned data processing system to interact with a console and operator panel.
2. Description of Related Art
A logical partitioning option (LPAR) within a data processing system allows multiple copies of a single operating system (OS) or multiple heterogeneous operating systems to be simultaneously run on a single data processing system platform. A partition, within which an operating system image runs, is assigned a non-overlapping sub-set of the platform's resources. These platform allocable resources include one or more architecturally distinct processors with their interrupt management area, regions of system memory, and I/O adapter bus slots. The partition's resources are represented by its own open firmware device tree to the OS image.
Each distinct OS or image of an OS running within the platform are protected from each other such that software errors on one logical partition cannot affect the correct operation of any of the other partitions. This is provided by allocating a disjoint set of platform resources to be directly managed by each OS image and by providing mechanisms for ensuring that the various images cannot control any resources that have not been allocated to it. Furthermore, software errors in the control of an OS's allocated resources are prevented from affecting the resources of any other image. Thus, each image of the OS (or each different OS) directly controls a distinct set of allocable resources within the platform.
There are certain resources within many server platforms that exist singly, yet each distinct OS within the platform must interact with these resources. For example, the RS/6000, a product of International Business Machines Corporation of Armonk, N.Y., includes a console and an operator panel for allowing a system administrator to detect and correct problems within the platform. However, each of these resources exists singly within the platform and it is impractical to duplicate these resources. While present architectures often do not preclude the sharing of allocable resources of this type between partitions, there is no current architectural support for such sharing. Therefore, a method, system, and computer program product for providing the sharing of allocable resources within a logically partitioned platform is desirable.